The time for women has come

We women are amazing beings. Through centuries of being held down, disregarded, ignored, diminished, disempowered, controlled, beat up and even murdered, we are here and we are more awake than ever. We have a voice to be heard. We have a purpose to be seen. And we have a place to be honored.

We are not here to be limited by societal ideologies of "maiden/mother/crone" or "virgin/lover/wife." We exist beyond these simplistic ideologies in a way that adds to and balances the field of Life. This isn't opinion or "man-hating." It's course-correction.

Let's be real. Some women are just sick and tired of the bullshit—the condescending men, the arrogant men, the ignorant men, the sleazy men, the lying men, the placating men, the mansplaining men, the irresponsible men, the immature men, the narcissistic men, the emotionally distant men, the unsafe men. We sigh into the quiet spaces of our lives, wishing for a different kind of relationship with men yet feeling that perhaps it doesn't exist or perhaps we don't deserve it.

Tired of feeling let down, disappointed, blamed, disregarded or unsafe, we do unhealthy things in an attempt to remedy our situation...like we withdraw emotionally or become overly distant, controlling or dominant to protect ourselves. Or we tolerate too much in the name of stability or security. Or we become overly responsible in an attempt to prove something. Or we step out of our integrity to maintain a sense of safety, power or success. Or we cling too tightly in the hopes of not losing what may feel like everything to us.

When these tactics don't resolve things (and they generally won't), it's a short step into frustration, anger, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, or apathy. Try to share this with these men and all you may get back is blame and shame. It's exhausting and demoralizing.

So what can we do as women living in this context?

We can set and hold clear personal boundaries. We can stand up and speak out against inequity. We can share with safe, trustworthy men and solicit their support in standing up with us. We might also encourage these men to enlighten the men in their lives who slip into false narratives about women.

We can also learn to trust and honor ourselves and our intuition. We can heal inner wounds that keep us feeling small or vulnerable. We can take decisive actions to build genuine confidence, self-respect and self-love. We can put down old narratives that were never true about us. We can forgive ourselves for ever believing we were anything less than worthy. We can take our sense of security, self-worth and happiness into our own hands and hearts.

And just as significantly, we can support each other's healing, growth, empowerment, sovereignty and success. How? By dismantling false societal ideologies of "women." By respecting each other. By not viewing each other as enemies or competitors. By maintaining our integrity within our relationships with each other. By lifting each other up when challenged, holding each other steady when wobbling and celebrating each other big when excelling. And perhaps most importantly, by building trustworthy relationships with each other that allow us to be honest and vulnerable with each other.

One thing is for certain. We women don't get far when we work against each other. We may have differing values, life or political views, and opinions yet that doesn't mean we can't stand up for each other as women in a difficult social landscape. In fact, it's easy to see all the reasons why we should.

Post Note: This is not a statement about men in general and also does not imply that women are perfect.